Tablet to Hasan-i-Sháhábadí

translated by Khazeh Fananapazir.
2002-02-14
originally revealed as "Lawh-i-Hasan-i-Sháhábadí".

Translator's introduction

Bahá’u’lláh, exalted be His Glory, in the early days of His Ministry, had revealed on the subject of the Seal of the Prophets in the most celebrated Íqán:

Why should Muhammad, that immortal Beauty, Who hath
said: “I am the first Adam” be incapable
of saying also: “I am the last Adam”? For
even as He regarded Himself to be the “First
of the Prophets” - that is Adam - in like manner,
the “Seal of the Prophets” is also applicable
unto that Divine Beauty. It is admittedly obvious that
being the “First of the Prophets,” He likewise
is their “Seal.”

The mystery of this theme hath, in this Dispensation,
been a sore test unto all mankind. Behold, how many
are those who, clinging unto these words, have disbelieved
Him Who is their true Revealer. (Bahá’u’lláh:
Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 162)

In the later period of His Ministry Bahá’u’lláh
had revealed:

It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation
of God hath lived is divinely ordained, and may, in
a sense, be characterized as God’s appointed Day.
This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished
from those that have preceded it. The designation “Seal
of the Prophets” fully revealeth its high station.
The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended. The Eternal
Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the Ensign of
Power, and is now shedding upon the world the unclouded
splendor of His Revelation. (Bahá’u’lláh:
Gleanings, p. 60)

This servant came across a Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh
revealed in the late period of His Revelation in ’Akká
which discloses even more fully His explanation and
elucidation of this most mighty and challenging theme.

It has not so far been translated and as usual this
servant’s translation is provisional and as near as
my unschooled mind is capable of close to the traditional
devotional style. Help by the most learned Frank and
the unique Moojan Momen et al. in improving it will
be appreciated.

The printed text is available in the Arabic. It is recorded
in the book Istimrár by the recent great martyr
of the Faith Dr. Kamálu’d-Dín Bakhtávar[1]
and this servant has also a photocopy of the
facsimile of the original manuscript.

It is a blessing to remember the great Bakhtávar
who was such a great Scholar and who suffered so much
during the post revolutionary period and who was then
martyred and who first brought the attention of the
friends to this Tablet.

May what is left of my fast fleeting and unworthy days
be a sacrifice to his and other martyrs undying love
for the Speaker on Sinai!

Lawh-i-Hasan-i-Sháhábadí

He shineth from the Horizon of the Heaven of true Knowledge
with Wisdom and Utterance!

O Hasan! Hearken unto the Call of Husayn[2]
Who hath been incarcerated in the Prison Fortress of
’Akká by reason of that which the hands
of the heedless have wrought. If one were to question
them,[3] “by
what reason have ye imprisoned Him?”, they would
reply: “Verily, He hath come with a new Shariah
and this new Shariah doth not accord with the Law under
which we have been. To this matter testifieth our Book
which is called the Qur’án, a Book that
is from God,[4]
the Lord of all mankind. See that which the All-Merciful
hath revealed therein: ‘Verily He[5] is the Messenger of God, and the Seal of the
Prophets.’”[6]

To this We reply: “Indeed thou speaketh the truth.
We do testify that through Him,[7] Messengership[8]
and Prophethood[9] have both
been sealed and any one claiming after Him this most
exalted station is in manifest error.[10] Nevertheless, O Questioner! Hearken
unto My voice which sayeth: “Open thine eyes
that thou mayest behold the Most Great Beauty,[11] through Whom speaketh the Lord of divine
decree. By God! Through Him the ‘Hour’[12] hath appeared, and the ‘Resurrection’[13]
hath come to pass, and the ‘Moon’[14]
hath been cleft asunder and thou wouldst behold
all in a ‘continuing Regeneration’ if thou
be of them that possess insight.

“Verily, through His Advent hath come to be fulfilled
the Advent about which glad tidings have been given
by the Messengers of God from all eternity and there
hath come to pass about which God hath revealed in
the Qur’án: ‘On that Day they shall all rise before the Lord of mankind.’[15] Truly the Cycle of Prophethood
hath been rolled up and He Who hath sent down the Prophets
hath come, arrayed with a manifest and perspicuous
sovereignty. He, verily, is the One at Whose Advent
all created things have given this utterance: ‘The
Kingdom is God’s, the Sovereign, the Almighty,
the All-Praised.’ He is the One for Whom the necks
of God’s Chosen Saints have been outstretched
in longing and ardent expectation and every Prophet
hath awaited His Presence in this wondrous Day. He
is the One through Whom the ‘One Unseen and Hidden’
hath been made manifest, the One Whom no one hath known
save He Himself,[16] the one King over all mankind.[17] Peruse ye the Qur’án and all God’s Books revealed in the past that
haply ye may recognize this Day, illumined by the Countenance
of thy Lord, the Manifest, the Perspicuous One.”

Thus have We illumined the horizon of the firmaments
of this Tablet with the Luminary of Our Word, a Word
through which God hath brought into being all creation
from all eternity to all eternity. Praise be to God,
the Lord of all the worlds!

[4] e.g. Qur’án 10:37
“This
Qur’án is not such as can be produced by
other than God; on the contrary it is a confirmation
of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller
explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt
- from the Lord of the worlds.” (MW’s note)

[10] For a discussion of this issue, see Seena Fazel and Khazeh Fananapazir.
“A Bahá’í Approach to the Claim of Finality in Islám” Journal of Bahá’í Studies 5:3 (1993), pp. 17-40 (MW’s note).

[11] Most Great Vision Manzar al akbar. See Qur’án
76.011: “But God will deliver them from the
evil of that Day, and will shed over them a Light of
Beauty and (blissful) Joy.”(KF’s note,
expanded by MW)

[12] Matthew 24:44 and many Qur’ánic references: 6:31,
7:187, 12:107, 15:85, 15:99, 16:77, 18:21, 20:15, 22:7,
30:1-14; 55, 31:34 33:63, 34:3, 40:59, 41:47, 50, 43:61,
66, 85, 45:27, 32, 47:18, 54:1, 46, 74:47, 79:42 and
22:1-2:“O mankind! fear your Lord! for the convulsion
of the Hour (of Judgment) will be a thing terrible!
The Day ye shall see it, every mother giving suck shall
forget her suckling-babe, and every pregnant female
shall drop her load (unformed): thou shalt see mankind
as in a drunken riot, yet not drunk: but dreadful will
be the Wrath of God.” See also 22:55-57: “Those
who reject Faith will not cease to be in doubt concerning
(Revelation) until the Hour (of Judgment) comes suddenly
upon them, or there comes to them the Penalty of a
Day of Disaster. On that Day of Dominion will be that
of God: He will judge between them: so those who believe
and work righteous deeds will be in Gardens of Delight.
And for those who reject Faith and deny our Signs,
there will be a humiliating Punishment.” Bahá’u’lláh writes: “‘Hath the Hour come?’ ‘Nay, more;
it hath passed, by Him Who is the Revealer of clear
tokens!’” Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh,
p. 117. See also Kitáb-i-Aqdas, P81 (MW’s
note).

[13] i.e. the Day of Resurrection: Revelation 20:5-6; Qur’án
2:212, 30:8, 56, 35:9, 46:6, 50:11, 42, 75:1-40. See
also Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh,
p. 118:“’Is the Resurrection come?’
’Nay, more; He Who is the Self-Subsisting hath
appeared with the Kingdom of His signs.’“
(MW’s note).

[14] Qur’án 54:1. See also Bahá’u’lláh,
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, P 81:“O kings of the earth!
The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this Spot,
this scene of transcendent splendour. Every hidden
thing hath been brought to light by virtue of the Will
of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who hath ushered in the
Last Hour, through Whom the Moon hath been cleft, and
every irrevocable decree expounded.“ (MW’s
note).